Lin Qingwan stared at the gleaming dagger, her peripheral nerves trembling with fear, the scene of being bled replaying in her mind.
Zhao Cong noticed that the person in his arms was weak and could not even stand up.
Following her gaze to the dagger on the ground, he said coldly, "Tong Di, take the dagger away."
Tong Di snapped out of her daze, a look of heartache flashing in her eyes, and immediately ordered the guards to put away the evidence.
He Shi failed in her attempt, and Tong Di pressed the back of her neck with the scabbard, preventing her from raising her head. Moreover, that pounce had exhausted all her strength, and now she could only cover her face with her hands and wail helplessly.
Lin Qingwan was afraid that she would go crazy again and say something that would implicate the Crown Prince, so although her body was trembling, she still said sternly, "Gag her."
"She's gone mad."
Zhao Cong raised his eyelids, a cold darkness seeping into his eyes, "If she wants to die, there's no need to stop her."
"Let her speak."
"Anyway, the Jiang family only has a few lives. Let's give them all to her so she won't feel it's unfair when she goes to the underworld."
Mrs. He dared not speak further.
She had been contemplating suicide, but now she didn't have the courage to do it again and collapsed instantly.
The street was completely silent; no one dared to look directly at Zhao Cong's bright yellow figure.
Zhao Cong looked at the top of Lin Qingwan's head and asked, "How much longer?"
Lin Qingwan suddenly snapped back to her senses and felt a burning sensation on her back. She quickly steadied herself.
Seeing that her legs were weak, Tong Di subconsciously reached out and saw that the Crown Prince had already lowered his arm.
Tong Di pursed her lips tightly. Was the Crown Prince also trying to help her up?
Lin Qingwan smiled slightly at Tong Di, "Thank you."
Tong Di's cheeks flushed, but he couldn't bear to look away. He used to be clueless about matters between men and women, but he was moved by the armband Lin Qingwan gave him. Even though he knew he was taking advantage of the Crown Prince, he couldn't control himself.
He had killed countless people on the battlefield, but this was the first time he had risked his life to save someone. Even in his dreams, she was clinging tightly to his clothes, begging him to take her away.
Lin Qingwan avoided his burning gaze, only to find herself with nowhere to hide.
Zhao Cong glanced at it only once before turning around to return to his carriage.
"Qingwan!"
Ruan Tinghuai struggled to squeeze out of the crowd, his eyes fixed on Lin Qingwan.
"gentlemen?"
Lin Qingwan unexpectedly saw him here and questioned Tong Di with her eyes.
Tong Di explained, "That day you went back with the Prime Minister, and Mr. Ruan also insisted on leaving. I couldn't stop him."
He didn't really intend to stay.
As soon as Ruan Tinghuai arrived, he grabbed Lin Qingwan's slender wrist, looked her up and down, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked much more haggard.
Lin Qingwan knew she had dragged him into this mess and felt bad about it.
Ruan Tinghuai held her tightly, as if afraid someone would snatch her away. "I waited outside the Prime Minister's residence for a long time. Why are you only coming back now? Did Prince Jing make things difficult for you again?"
Did he hurt you again?
Tell me where you feel unwell!
Seeing him like this, Lin Qingwan felt a pang of pain in her heart and slowly pushed his hand away. "Sir, I'm fine."
You actually...
Ruan Tinghuai's eyes trembled, and he forced a smile to interrupt her, "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright."
“I rented that courtyard. It’s been tidied up in the last two days, and I’ve hired maids and servants. It has everything I need.”
"You don't need to go back and suffer anymore."
He looked terribly haggard, and the light in his eyes seemed to have exhausted the rest of his life's energy.
Lin Qingwan hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
Ruan Tinghuai forced a smile, his voice becoming very low with guilt, "Let's go back."
Lin Qingwan took a deep breath. She really wanted to see the outside world with her husband, but wanting and doing were two different things. She had been thinking about it since they were in Shuiyuan Town.
"Sir, I'm sorry. I might..."
Ruan Tinghuai smiled, her nails unconsciously digging into her palms.
Lin Qingwan looked at him and said, word by word, "I was unable to leave with you back then, so we were destined not to have this fate."
"I guess this is fate."
"No!" Ruan Tinghuai was very anxious, trying her best to control her nearly collapsing emotions. "I was cowardly back then, and I regret it day and night."
"I will never let go again."
He really didn't want to recall the torment of these past years, especially the times Lin Qingwan nearly lost her life to save him.
He lied to himself back then, saying that she was afraid and unwilling to persist, and that he couldn't be blamed.
He can't fool himself now.
The fact that the Prime Minister's residence was confining her was not the main reason; what he feared was Tong Di, and the Crown Prince behind her.
He had seen everything just now. The Crown Prince had let her lean against him for so long, and looked at her with such deep eyes. As a man himself, he couldn't be mistaken.
Tong Di was repressed and restrained, but the Crown Prince was so deeply hidden.
He could disregard Tong Di, but the Crown Prince's status... he was afraid he would lose Qing Wan again.
Lin Qingwan hardly recognized the man anymore; he shouldn't be such a persistent and entangled person.
Ultimately, he was dragged down by himself.
She closed her eyes, and as Ruan Tinghuai watched her gradually calm down, his heart felt like it was being gnawed by insects.
Sure enough, she said, "Sir, I repaid your kindness in teaching me to read and write back then. I also repaid your kindness in the flower garden when you risked your life to come to Beijing for me and were schemed against by Jiang Yanwan."
"We're even now."
Ruan Tinghuai frowned. "You don't owe me anything. I owe you something, and I'm the one who has to repay you."
"Qingwan, please give me another chance." He was practically kneeling down before Lin Qingwan.
Lin Qingwan's lips turned pale. "I don't want you to pay me back."
She turned to Zhao Cong and pleaded again, "Your Highness, could you please ensure Mr. Ruan's safe departure from the capital?"
She made a request once on New Year's Eve.
Her expression then was far less resolute than it is now.
Zhao Cong turned his head, his face expressionless. "No one stopped him."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
